Being autistic and nonbinary myself, I dearly loved this book. The relationship between Sam and their adoptive father Junius is so supportive and closBeing autistic and nonbinary myself, I dearly loved this book. The relationship between Sam and their adoptive father Junius is so supportive and close! I especially enjoyed Junius’s low-key response when Sam looked up asexual aromanticism for Junius because those orientations seemed to fit him: “Yep, sounds like me. Who’d have thunk! There’s a name for it! Your generation thinks of everything” (pg. 168). To be so comfortable in your own skin, so already self-affirmed that you don’t have to reframe anything when new information comes along that puts who you are into clarity. ...more
This is the third book by White that I have read, and one of the things that impresses me about this author is that every book he’s written so far, haThis is the third book by White that I have read, and one of the things that impresses me about this author is that every book he’s written so far, has been so different.
Hell Followed With Us offered a dystopian view of a society that could easily exist in our near future, while The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was a work of Victorian-gothic horror. And now Compound Fracture tells a story of generational trauma and oppression in rural Appalachia, supernaturally infused by the ghost of a dead miner.
I felt so seen, so understood and visible when reading Compound Fracture. Like its protagonist, Miles Abernathy, I missed out on a formal diagnosis of autism in childhood, and, consequently, there was just so much I could relate to: words that I could easily apply to my own struggles when trying to make sense of this world.
******* “Once everyone arrives, we begin. Mrs. Amsler opens the session with an icebreaker question, the two truths and a lie thing. She asks if I want to start, and I do not. The looks I get when I say no make me want to crawl out of my skin. ... It’s like everyone knows there’s something off about me, and they don’t like it, and they don’t quite know what to do about it.
“It’s what I spent so, so long trying to fix. And it’s hard trying to bridge the gap between me and everyone else. To do all the work, mold yourself into what you think people want, only to have it fall apart when you’re too tired to keep it up anymore. People are exhausting, and frustrating, and so much work. Fake eye contact, stay still, stop chewing on things, stop being so goddamn weird.
“Why is it so hard for me? How come everybody else seems to handle it fine?” (White, 2024, pp. 148 & 149).
****** “The research I did before Cooper showed up at the house said that, sometimes, autistic people don’t actually miss social cues. In fact, they might see every single one of them, but they’ve gotta decode them by hand, analyzing them quick as they can to avoid being left behind. And sometimes they get it wrong. No wonder interacting with people is so exhausting - it’s twice the work for half the results” (White, 2024, pp. 266 & 267).
Compound Fracture met several prompts for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. From 2024: Prompt #2. Read a YA book by a trans author.
I was also able to apply it toward several prompts from prior years’ challenges.
From 2o23, 1. Read a novel about a trans character written by a trans author.
From 2021, No. 24. Read a book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn’t die. Please note that this is NOT a spoiler. White stated outright in a review on Goodreads and in a list of content warnings on his website, “The dog named Lady is fine, I promise.”)
Finally, from 2019, No. 13. A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse....more
Updated review upon completion Being nonbinary, I found so many things to appreciate about Ollie in Between, which concerns a nonbinary 13-year-old navUpdated review upon completion Being nonbinary, I found so many things to appreciate about Ollie in Between, which concerns a nonbinary 13-year-old navigating gender expectations. And as I read, I wondered if the protagonist might also be autistic. Ollie in Between will be published by Feiwel & Friends and April 2025. Video review at https://youtu.be/0YUsvsDspAs
Original review I've only just started this book but there is already so much to appreciate. As a nonbinary person, I can appreciate Ollie's ambivalence about trying to inhabit the gender that has been assigned to them. I'm also autistic and as I read, I'm getting pings on my "autism radar."...more
During Autism Acceptance Month, April 2024, I am reading Paige Not Found by Jen Wilde (a paperback, from Scholastic, obtained at a recent book fair). During Autism Acceptance Month, April 2024, I am reading Paige Not Found by Jen Wilde (a paperback, from Scholastic, obtained at a recent book fair). It features a protagonist who is autistic and nonbinary, who learns that a chip was planted in her brain without her consent. As a reader and librarian who is autistic and nonbinary, I feel visible through reading a book that features a main character who is so like me. Video review at https://youtu.be/n0fWnuBqZu4...more
Through her scientific exploration of reproduction in plants, 14-year-old Lizzie gains new insights into herself and her place in society. Reading JusThrough her scientific exploration of reproduction in plants, 14-year-old Lizzie gains new insights into herself and her place in society. Reading Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid, I found so much to appreciate: among them a beautiful expression for the interconnectedness of life. The book also offers much-needed representation for asexuality. As a reader on the autism spectrum, I do have one wishful question. Is it possible that Lizzie is autistic? My appreciation to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book. Here is my video review, with three "guest-star" plants from my garden. https://youtu.be/Zx13e1g5ufw...more
I found this to be an intense book of suspenseful and gothic horror. A worthy sophomore effort from an author whose first book was a finalist for the I found this to be an intense book of suspenseful and gothic horror. A worthy sophomore effort from an author whose first book was a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award for a "first-time author writing for teens.” One of the things that fascinated me about this novel was the way that an autistic character is portrayed in a society in which no such diagnosis exists....more
I love this graphic novel, which centers around an autistic main character, Mia, created by someone who, is themself, on the autism spectrum. As someoI love this graphic novel, which centers around an autistic main character, Mia, created by someone who, is themself, on the autism spectrum. As someone who is autistic and who was the target of bullying, I could thoroughly relate to Mia's struggles, and I sympathized with Mia's anxiety about exposing the true identity of her online persona. I also consider it possible that Mia may be asexual. This might simply be my headcanon, but Burgess's prior book was a graphic memoir about being asexual, and a panel in Speak Up! depicts Mia (in contrast to other girls in her school) as having no interest in boys and gossip....more
In graphic-novel format, this book addresses the intersection of gender and disability. It's a quick read that focuses on ways that autistic women navIn graphic-novel format, this book addresses the intersection of gender and disability. It's a quick read that focuses on ways that autistic women navigate everyday life. I'm applying this book toward prompt #19 for Book Riot's 2023 "Read Harder" challenge: Read a nonfiction book about intersectional feminism....more
This book offers an excellent depiction of a person who discovers in adulthood that she is on the autism spectrum. Comprehensive, moving: much of her This book offers an excellent depiction of a person who discovers in adulthood that she is on the autism spectrum. Comprehensive, moving: much of her struggles were highly relatable to me. One area that I felt was really glossed over was the protagonist's relative privilege in being able to pay for clinical appointments that enabled her diagnosis. In one panel, we see a psychiatrist asking for and receiving payment for an hour spent with his client, but the book doesn't really go into how the protagonist was able to pay for testing and subsequent services. For many adults, diagnostic screenings simply aren't financially possible and, without "official" diagnosis from an acceptable gatekeeper, society is permitted to overlook and not address our challenges....more
I related to much of Burgess's experiences. In addition to being asexual, Burgess is on the autism spectrum. Burgess combines storytelling through a gI related to much of Burgess's experiences. In addition to being asexual, Burgess is on the autism spectrum. Burgess combines storytelling through a graphic-novel format with information about asexuality....more
April is Autism Acceptance Month (yes, that’s Acceptance, and not just “awareness” of autism [Autism Society, 2021]). To commemorate this observance, April is Autism Acceptance Month (yes, that’s Acceptance, and not just “awareness” of autism [Autism Society, 2021]). To commemorate this observance, I like to draw attention to books that feature an autistic main character. And with Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor, I can actually spotlight two protagonists who are on the autism spectrum.
First, a brief summary if you have not read the book: it concerns two sixth-graders, Aurora and Frenchie, who, up until the time of the story, have always been in the same classrooms.
Frenchie is nonvocal and intensely interested in birds. Aurora tends to blurt what she is thinking and has struggled with making friends. Early in their lives, they each chose each other as their special person. But as sixth-grade looms, suddenly they will be in separate sixth-grade classrooms. For the first time also, Aurora has been able to make friends with two other classmates.
One day, when circumstances interrupt their routine of going to school and to their classrooms, Frenchie leaves school and goes missing. Much of the book focuses on the logistics of a community search for Frenchie.
As someone who was reading first a digital advance copy and then later the physical book, I was interested in a recent talk between Leslie Connor and Roger Sutton of The Horn Book.
During their conversation, Connor shared that she’d become “really interested in how vast the autism spectrum is.” She explained that for this book, she created two neurodiverse main characters, but she did not label either one of them (Sutton, 2021).
I am a reader who is, herself, on the autism spectrum. So, while the story certainly caught my interest and kept me invested in the outcome, I have to express concern that the publisher has labeled only one of these two protagonists as officially having “autism.” That would be Frenchie, the young boy who is also nonvocal.
Aurora, the other main protagonist and the story’s main narrator, is merely “cued as neurodiverse” in the words of a Kirkus review. But being “cued as” something isn’t the same as having your identity explicitly acknowledged and recognized.
I find this dichotomy especially concerning because girls and women are far less likely to receive an official diagnosis of autism - possibly because of ways that clinicians interpret our behavior and our special interests (Zeliadt, 2018).
Without a diagnosis, we’re cut off from information that might explain our differences, and we’re certainly cut off from accommodations or services that might ease our struggles and challenges.
I am interested to know if either the author or the publisher sought input at any stage of the writing and publishing process from people on the autism spectrum. Their lived experience could provide valuable insight, since Connor in her talk with Sutton, acknowledges that she is not autistic - and in her author’s note, Connor credits only parents and a sibling of people on the autism spectrum, no autistic people themselves.
I do think the statement that Connor uncovered in her research is absolutely right-on, and that is, “Show me one autistic person and I’ll show you one autistic person” (Sutton, 2021).
Appreciation to NetGalley and to the publisher for giving me a digital ARC. I ask that the publisher please consider my feedback concerning the use of a diagnostic label to describe only one of this book’s main protagonists.
References: Autism Society. (2021, March 4). Media urged to recognize shift from ‘Autism Awareness Month’ to ‘Autism Acceptance Month’ this April. Press releases. https://www.autism-society.org/releas...
Connor, L. (2022). Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? Katherine Tegen Books.
Major-league pitcher VJ Capello has been Vivy Cohen’s hero ever since he showed her his grip for the knuckleball at a social event for people on the aMajor-league pitcher VJ Capello has been Vivy Cohen’s hero ever since he showed her his grip for the knuckleball at a social event for people on the autism spectrum and their families. Vivy writes a letter to VJ to satisfy the requirements of her social-skills class and, after Vivy sends him several letters, VJ actually writes back! The author, Sarah Kapit brings her lived experience as an autistic individual to craft Vivy as a believable character. Watch my video review at https://youtu.be/x-UrxoflBPc
Update, September 2022: Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! satisfies Task #23 of Book Riot's 2022 Read Harder Challenge. (Just to be clear, I read the book first and then, later, assigned it to an applicable category.) Details about the challenge at https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2022/...more
When I borrowed this book via Libby / Overdrive through my public library, it was the featured selection for “Big Library Read,” March 23 to April 13,When I borrowed this book via Libby / Overdrive through my public library, it was the featured selection for “Big Library Read,” March 23 to April 13, 2020.
First, concerning the book itself, I found it entertaining. Michael McCreary pokes fun, in an engaging way, at himself and his own foibles — including the notion of whether he, in his early 20s, has accumulated enough life experience to be able to write a memoir.
The book is geared toward a young readership and I found it a quick and easy read, with more “technical” information presented in easy-to-digest formats.
Given the potentially large readership this book will enjoy through its “Big Library Read” selection, I appreciate McCreary’s contributions to discussions of autism that center around the viewpoints of people who are, themselves, “on the spectrum.”
One of the things I appreciated was McCreary’s take on a potentially polarizing subject, the ongoing debate about whether we should be referred to with “person-first” or “identity-first” language.
(I say “we,” because I, myself, am on the autism spectrum.)
If you’re not familiar with what this debate encompasses, I’ll let McCreary explain it. An example of person-first language would be, “a person with autism.” Identity-first language would be, an “autistic person.”
McCreary believes that “people on both sides want to emphasize the value and worth of the individual. No matter what the person’s point of view, it's important to respect their choice of terms.”
When it comes to writing about myself, I’m basically with McCreary: “My choice at any point depends on what makes the sentence flow better and provides the clearest meaning.”
Now for one concern — and, again, this concern is amplified, because being featured as the "Big Library Read” gives this book a wide readership. I disagree with McCreary’s viewpoint that “Only a professional can properly diagnose someone with ASD.”
This insistence on professional diagnosis excludes many who found out in adulthood that they were on the autism spectrum. (Diagnostic criteria has broadened over the years, so many — especially older — autistic adults missed out on being diagnosed in childhood.)
Getting a “proper,” professional diagnosis is an expensive proposition. Not everybody has the financial resources to devote toward that pursuit.
I understand that McCreary is a comedian, and so may be prone to exaggerating for the purposes of his humor. But there is a vast range of experience and inquiry between receiving a professional diagnosis and taking a single quiz on Buzzfeed. It isn’t simply a matter of doing one of those or the other to arrive at autistic self-awareness.
Society’s insistence upon on medical diagnosis before it will consent to remove barriers, represents a real challenge to people with “invisible” disabilities getting the support and understanding that they need.
This was an entertaining book, sure to appeal to readers who enjoy sports. Told from the perspective of a fifth-grade student, Rip, it concerns his exThis was an entertaining book, sure to appeal to readers who enjoy sports. Told from the perspective of a fifth-grade student, Rip, it concerns his experiences both on the basketball court and in a Language Arts classroom with new coach-and-teacher Mr. Acevedo.
Rip's best friend, Red, is on the autism spectrum, which is the reason why I first picked up this book. (Being autistic myself, I purposely seek out books that address my own experience.)
Some of the potentially most enjoyable touches for my youthful customers, are the gross-out possibilities of a classroom assignment. Rip teams with a classmate, Avery Goodman, who relies for mobility on a wheelchair, and they give a "Nasty Nine" presentation on all the disgusting things that Avery has to roll her tires through.
At one point, Rip's mother suggests to Rip that he "brings out the best" in Red, and suggests to him that, that is why Mr. Acevedo paired him to work with Avery.
I appreciate that Rip, himself, holds a more reciprocal view of his relationships. He and Red "get" each other, and bring out each other's best, and when Rip works with Avery, it seems clear in the story that both bring unique talents and abilities to their class presentation....more
Sweet and charming book about a girl who is governed by logic, and her interactions with the messy and irrational classmates with whom she shares her Sweet and charming book about a girl who is governed by logic, and her interactions with the messy and irrational classmates with whom she shares her life. I was able to strongly relate to the protagonist, Emma-Jean; she's never specifically labeled as anything other than "strange," but I could easily see her occupying a place on the autism continuum (and I like the way that Emma-Jean's being "strange" is framed as a positive trait). Altogether, a compelling storyline, difficult to put down -- as, with good intentions, Emma-Jean resorts to various forgeries. I kept waiting with apprehension for her ruses to be discovered....more
I could intensely relate to the drama that is central to Let's Pretend We Never Met, seeing parallels from my own life with circumstances for the charI could intensely relate to the drama that is central to Let's Pretend We Never Met, seeing parallels from my own life with circumstances for the character of Agnes.
At Calistoga Elementery School and at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School, I was the weird girl, the person ostracized and shunned by the school population. There was no understanding for an autism spectrum when I was going to school, so my differences went unexplained.
Learning that the character of Agnes in this book is possibly autistic, made me interested in reading it. I'm interested in the ways that authors portray characters who are on the autism spectrum -- and in this case, Agnes is also "the girl that no one likes" at protagonist Mattie's school.
Other readers have complained that Agnes is not specifically identified as being autistic; instead, Mattie overhears Agnes's mother say that Agnes has a "social disorder" and anxiety.
Well, Agnes's behavior seems consistent with a person who is on the autism spectrum, and as a reader, I can attempt to interpret the behaviors and motivations of characters in stories.
It's possible that Agnes's mother might find it simpler to tell people that Agnes has a "a social disorder" -- especially people whom she's only recently met. Agnes' mother might worry that people might make assumptions on the basis of stigma attached to the word "autism."
To be clear, in matters of disability representation, Agnes is a secondary character. This book tells Mattie's story, and centers around her perspective, so Agnes and her disability are presented through a neurotypical character's viewpoint.
I value this book for its possible encouragement for "up-standers" against bullying. (As my regular readers may know, this is a crusade that is dear to my heart.)
The targets of bullying shouldn't have to combat bullying alone. An entire community needs to unite in support of bullying's victims. And fictional works like Melissa C. Walker's book can help foster that united community....more
Autistic representation matters to me in fiction, and the fact that this book's author is, herself, on the autism spectrum made it even more appealingAutistic representation matters to me in fiction, and the fact that this book's author is, herself, on the autism spectrum made it even more appealing to read.
Currently one-third through, I am finding a lot to relate to with Kiara, the protagonist. Like her, I struggled with making friends in school. I would pin my hope on new arrivals to the school, people not yet indoctrinated to the "norm" that I was to be ostracized and shunned -- only to have them abandon me once they figured out that I was the kid no one liked.
Kiara's desperation to make friends makes her vulnerable to bad influence.
A new boy, Chad, is forced by his parents to help them manufacture drugs. They set him or his little brother to keep look-out for them, hours at a time, in the park, even during extreme weather.
Chad's father also makes unscrupulous use of Kiara's isolation from other kids. He pressures Chad to involve Kiara in illegal activities -- and so the two of them go from pharmacy to pharmacy, purchasing supplies for making drugs.
Kiara catches on and stands up for herself, but on the very next occasion, Chad goes with her on a bike ride to explore local trails ... only to pack hazardous chemicals for disposal in both bikes' saddlebags.
This story is populated with well-developed characters. Chad, for example, hates what he has to do, but doesn't really see a way out of it. If it was just him, he would be glad to run away, but he feels that he has to protect his younger brother.
Because of its mature theme of drug-manufacturing, this book would be best for readers in middle-grade and older. Its themes of struggling to connect with people are ones that many readers will be able to relate to....more
As a person on the autism spectrum, I find it refreshing to find this subject addressed directly to the person who has autism. So many books are writtAs a person on the autism spectrum, I find it refreshing to find this subject addressed directly to the person who has autism. So many books are written addressing how others can cope with us, so I purposely seek to showcase books that are written for an autistic readership.
With concise, clear language, Autism and You: Learning in Styles explains learning styles and preferences, and also helps identify environmental factors that might influence the student's ability to learn. It's a quick read, easily digestible, but worth returning to sections as-needed to put its information into practice.
Autism and You helps students to discover their own optimal learning environment, and offers practical suggestions for how the student can shape an environment to help them do their best.
This book, as I've said, is written for students, but I feel that it could easily also be relevant to a wider autistic readership. Even people who are not on the spectrum might similarly benefit from being able to understand their preferred learning style.
Reviewer's Note: The publisher provided me with an advance reading copy....more